Once you have managed to establish your business and reached a point where it is finally possible to start thinking about growth rather than survival, it is high time to get an Enterprise Resource Planning system (if you don’t have one in place already).

Those days are long gone when organizations could thrive and function optimally based on simple SOPs and the brilliance of some individuals. To organize and automate elements of a business, having an ERP is essential.In making the choice of the kind of ERP you are getting for your organization, there are two paths that can be taken. It is possible to buy an existing ERP system that comes from a recognized company, or if you think your needs are too specific and no existing system will be able to cater to them fully, there is always the possibility of getting the ERP developed yourself.

A comprehensive ERP system is tailored to take care of almost all aspects of your business. There are usually distinct modules for human resource management, accounting, planning, and execution. There are a lot of scenarios when you might think that one or more of these modules aren’t needed in your business. For example, the kind of work you are doing might be highly automated, which means that managing HR through the system isn’t worth all the money and effort.

This doesn’t take away from the importance and necessity of the other modules though, which means it is still a good idea to get the ERP system, minus the unwanted module.Regardless of whether you are purchasing an existing ERP system and getting it customized, or having one developed yourself, cost is always a big constraint and you often have to choose between economy and functionality.

ERP charges are generally on per module basis if you aren’t buying the whole system, but in some cases vendors might not offer that option. If you are faced with this scenario, and you think the system is otherwise perfect for you, it is a good idea to purchase it with the excess modules.

Consider it an investment in the future of your organization. Building upon the example we just cited, your business always has the potential to grow to a point where you might start feeling the need of that Human Resources module after all.

The thing to remember here is that you are spending on a system that has the potential to become the backbone of your company in the future.In most cases, ERP charges are divided into purchasing fees and maintenance cost. When opting for a system, it always pays to have a projection for the expected cost in the future.

Allowance must also be made for expected changes to your business model. Of course, it is not possible to anticipate everything, but if you have a general idea of the direction you are heading in, you should be able to get an approximation of the maintenance cost of the ERP in coming years.